Sure, the postcard views stretching all the way to Canada from atop Sugarloaf, the state's second-highest peak, are dandy, and the vibe is laid-back, but that's not why you'll slog to the hinterlands of Maine to ski here.

Make the trek to Whitewater in Interior B.C.-including the four miles up the access road, past 20-foot snowbanks and the echoing concussions of artillery shells-and you'll realize you've arrived in a rarefied place.